It is utterly
incredible that farmers are still importing Bluetongue-infected livestock from
Europe. If the Dutch can hastily impose a voluntary ban on calves from the
United Kingdom because of the risk of Bovine Tuberculosis, why cannot British
farmers react the same way in the face of the arguably far more damaging
Bluetongue disease? What motivates these people who continue to bring reservoirs
of the disease into the country, putting at risk not only their own livelihoods,
but also those of thousands of others? Is it ignorance, selfishness, idiocy,
gross stupidity, or a combination of the above?

For once, and to its credit, DEFRA has, by opting for a voluntary
vaccination strategy, enabled the protection of all the livestock in England to
take place within a few short months, and the strategy appears to have worked in
the South and East where a high take-up of vaccine is reported. Sadly, the
strategy has failed in the North and West, where far fewer have vaccinated their
livestock. The refuseniks are risking everything, and using scaremongering
pseudo-scientific claims to justify their inactivity. Having vaccinated all my
cattle at the earliest opportunity in September, I am happy to report no
side-effects.

The combination of continued imports and lack of vaccination will
have pernicious effects. The stage is being set for a massive outbreak in 2009
or 2010, in a repeat of the pattern seen in France, Belgium, Holland and
Germany. It is like watching a well-known Shakespearean tragedy unfold. You know
what is going to happen, are willing the outcome to be different, and are
powerless to change it. And whilst the British public is more sympathetic to
farming than it used to be, the way in which Bluetongue is being collectively
mishandled is permeating the public perception and eroding that hard-won
sympathy. Thoughtless farmers will, when Bluetongue hits them and they cry for
government aid, forfeit any moral entitlement to such help. DEFRA has given
farmers a chance to show that we can act collectively and responsibly to prevent
Bluetongue from gaining hold, and farmers have blown it, thereby giving
ministers and mandarins the perfect excuse for imposing further red tape,
regulations and costs at will. Congratulations!